f 


he  Price  of 
Winning  Souls 


An  Address  Delivered  before 
the  Conference  of  Christian 
Workers,  East  Northfield, 
Mass.,  Saturday  Afternoon, 
August  iz,  1906. 


By 

CHARLES  L.  QOODELL,  D.D. 


Paator  of  Calvary  Metbodiat  Epia- 
copal  Church,  New  York  City 


FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 
New  York  Chicago  Toronto 


he  Price  of 
Winning  Souls 


An  Address  Delivered  before 
the  Conference  of  Christian 
Workers,  East  Northfield, 
Mass.,  Saturday  Afternoon, 
August  ii,  1906. 


By 


CHARLES  L.  QOODELL,  D.D. 

Pastor  of  Calvary  Methodist  Epis- 
copal Church,  New  York  City 


FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 
New  York  Chicago  Toronto 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

I am  thankful  to  you,  brethren,  and  to 
you,  Mr.  Moody,  for  the  privilege  of  the 
hour.  I am  pleased  to  learn  from  con- 
versation with  you  that  Northfield  has 
been  true  to  herself  in  the  spirit  of  these 
conferences,  and  that  you  have  been 
placing  the  first  things  first.  You  have 
talked  about  the  Holy  Spirit  as  the  guide 
in  this  great  work  ; you  have  talked  about 
prayer  and  the  reading  of  God’s  Word 
as  the  great  exercise  for  the  Christian 
preacher’s  preparation.  Now  you  will 
not  think  that  I am  not  in  very  hearty 
sympathy  with  all  that  has  been  said, 
when  I present  that  which  should  come 
next,  the  human  side  of  the  work.  What 
shall  I do  ? How  shall  I do  it  ? These 
are  the  questions  which  I shall  try  to 
answer. 

The  theme  which  I wish  to  present  is 
“ The  Price  of  Winning  Souls.”  I de- 
sire, if  I can,  to  bring  the  matter  home 
in  such  a way  that  we  may  be  inspired 
and  heartened  for  our  work.  Let  us 
turn  to  the  Word  of  God  as  a fitting 

3 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

preface.  “ He  called  unto  Him  the 
multitude  with  His  disciples  and  said 
unto  them,  If  any  man  would  come  after 
Me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up 
his  cross,  and  follow  Me.” 

You  will  recall  that  first  great  humili- 
ation which  the  disciples  suffered  when 
they  undertook  to  heal  the  epileptic  boy 
and  were  not  able.  I can  imagine  how 
the  disciples  hung  their  heads  when  the 
father  said,  “ I spake  to  Thy  disciples 
that  they  should  cast  out  his  dumb  spirit 
and  they  could  not,”  and  Jesus  took  him 
by  the  hand  and  raised  him  up ; and  he 
arose.  And  when  He  was  come  into 
the  house  His  disciples  asked  Him 
privately,  “ How  is  it  that  we  could  not 
cast  it  out?”  And  He  said,  “ This  kind 
can  come  out  by  nothing  save  by 
prayer.” 

“ I charge  thee  in  the  sight  of  God 
and  of  Christ  Jesus  who  shall  judge  the 
living  and  the  dead,  and  by  His  appear- 
ing and  His  kingdom,  preach  the  Word.” 
“ Be  urgent  in  season,  out  of  season,  re- 
prove, rebuke,  exhort  with  all  long- 
suffering  and  teaching.  ...  Be  thou 
sober  in  all  things,  suffer  hardship,  do 
the  work  of  an  evangelist,  fulfill  thy 
ministry.” 


4 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

“ And  what  shall  I more  say,  for  the 
time  will  fail  me  if  I tell  of  Gideon  and 
of  Barak,  and  of  Samson,  and  of  Jcphthah, 
of  David  also,  and  Samuel,  and  of  the 
prophets : who  through  faith  subdued 
kingdoms,  wrought  righteousness,  ob- 
tained promises,  . . . and  others  had 
trials  of  mockings,  and  scourgings,  yea, 
moreover  of  bonds  and  imprisonment: 
they  were  stoned,  they  were  sawn 
asunder,  they  were  tempted,  they  were 
slain  with  the  sword  ; they  went  about 
in  sheepskin,  in  goatskin,  being  destitute, 
afflicted,  ill-treated  of  whom  the  world 
was  not  worthy.  . . . Therefore  let  us 
also,  seeing  we  are  compassed  about 
with  so  great  a cloud  of  witnesses,  lay 
aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  which 
doth  so  easily  beset  us,  and  let  us  run 
with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before 
us.” 

That  is  too  fast  company  for  our 
weighted  feet  to  keep  unless  the  Lord 
God  Almighty  shall  quicken  us  for  the 
race.  If  you  and  I,  after  having  lived  a 
life  of  indolence,  should  come  up  to 
heaven  at  last  and  see  over  some  great 
archway  of  the  blessed  city,  “ These  are 
they  who  came  up  out  of  great  tribu- 
lation,” we  should  be  forced  to  find  some 

5 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

humbler  portal  or  stay  outside.  I am 
tremendously  convinced  of  the  fact  that 
a great  price  has  to  be  paid  by  us  for  the 
winning  of  men  and  women  to  God. 
There  are  ministers  of  whom  their 
people  say  in  substance,  “ What  you 
are  and  what  you  do  speak  to  me  so 
loudly,  that  I cannot  hear  what  you  say. 
You  say  things  that  are  good  and  heroic 
but  you  are  not  working  them  out.  You 
ask  for  success,  but  you  will  not  pay  the 
price  which  success  costs.”  We  are  here 
to  get  inspiration  for  just  this  work. 
May  God  move  our  hearts  and  quicken 
our  feet. ! 

Personal  Experience 

I have  been  asked  to  give  you,  first  of 
all,  something  of  my  own  experience. 
There  is,  probably,  nothing  which  in- 
terests us  so  much  as  finding  out  what 
other  men  are  doing  and  the  way  in 
which  they  do  it.  I shall  waive  my  own 
feelings  and  give  you  a chapter  out  of 
my  own  life  to  the  end  that  I may  help 
some  one.  As  God  is  the  searcher  of 
my  heart,  I speak  in  great  humility, 
arrogating  to  myself  no  knowledge  or 
devotion  superior  to  that  of  my  brethren. 

6 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

Any  personal  incidents  or  statistics  that 
may  be  given  and  presented  solely  that 
God’s  name  may  be  glorified  for  all  the 
power  and  all  the  victory  belong 
within  Him.  I shall  say  some  things 
that  you  will  think  are  too  strong. 
Forgive  me  now.  I shall  say  some 
things  that  you  and  I might  disagree 
about,  but  we  will  not  argue  concerning 
them.  You  will  take  these  things  that  I 
have  to  say,  and  if  there  is  anything  in 
them  worth  while  you  will  use  it.  The 
rest  you  will  lay  aside.  Before  I tell  you 
about  my  own  experience  the  best  thing 
I can  do  will  be  to  tell  how  I came  to 
get  an  experience. 

I was  born  in  Puritan  New  England. 
My  father  and  mother  were  staunch  old 
Methodists  and  I was  brought  up  with 
this  idea  of  the  ministry  : that  a man 
must  have  a call,  a call  of  God,  strange 
and  powerful.  I also  learned  from  them 
that  the  measure  of  a man’s  success  in 
the  ministry  was  his  power  to  reach  and 
win  men  to  God ; that  was  the  only 
standard  of  success.  When  I was  look- 
ing towards  the  ministry,  I did  not  have 
the  call  in  the  solemn  tremendous  form : 
“ Woe  is  me  if  I preach  not  the  gospel.” 
I went  very  tremblingly  to  my  first 

7 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

charge  and  was  not  sure  that  I was  in  the 
ministry  for  a life  work.  There  seemed 
to  be  indications  that  led  that  way,  but  I 
was  not  satisfied.  I said,  “ O Lord,  if 
this  is  my  work,  give  me  souls  for  my 
hire.  If  souls  are  saved,  I shall  take  that 
as  evidence  that  God  wants  me.”  I 
wanted  to  know  whether  I had  the 
power  to  reach  the  hearts  of  men,  or 
whether  I simply  had  their  intellectual 
approval.  And  God  was  pleased  to  give 
us  some  souls  as  the  result  of  our  labour 
for  the  first  year.  I said,  “ This  may 
have  happened  so,  but  if  God  will  send 
us  a more  marvellous  manifestation  next 
year,  then  I shall  be  certain  that  I have 
a call  from  heaven.”  And  God  was 
pleased  to  send  us  a greater  blessing  the 
second  year.  But  like  Gideon,  I wanted 
to  have  another  test.  I was  to  change 
to  an  appointment  in  the  city,  and  I said, 
If  God  will  bless  me  there,  I shall  take  it 
beyond  all  question  that  He  wants  me  in 
the  rrinistry.  The  Holy  Spirit  gave  us 
yet  a larger  manifestation  of  His  favour 
and  many  came  into  the  kingdom.  Then 
it  dawned  upon  me  that  what  I had  been 
asking  for  three  years  was,  after  all,  the 
thing  I was  to  expect  every  year  in  the 
ministry.  I went  into  the  ministry  and 
8 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

have  prosecuted  it  with  that  ever  in  view, 
with  an  absolute  conviction  on  my  soul 
that  I was  doing  the  thing  I ought  to  do 
and  that  the  Almighty  would  be  my  suf- 
ficient helper.  I say  to  His  gloiy  that 
in  these  twenty-five  years  of  my  ministry 
I have  never  received  less  than  one  hun- 
dred souls  a year  and  in  some  years 
many  times  that  number  ; and  in  all 
those  twenty-five  years  I have  not  passed 
a single  monthly  communion  service 
without  receiving  some  into  the  church. 

New  York — “ Graveyard  of  Min- 
isters ” 

When  I came  to  New  York  two  years 
ago,  I feared  it  would  open  a new  chap- 
ter in  my  experience.  I had  been  be- 
fore that  in  Brooklyn  for  seven  years  at 
the  Hanson  Place  Church.  That  has 
been  for  years  our  largest  Methodist 
church,  and  it  has  had  a wonderful  re- 
vival history.  When  I went  there  I 
supposed,  of  course,  there  would  be  a 
revival — that  was  the  expected  thing. 
But  when  I went  to  Calvary  in  New 
York,  some  of  my  friends  said,  “ Now 
there  will  be  an  end  of  the  sort  of  thing 
you  have  been  expecting  all  these  years. 

9 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

You  will  find  that  New  York  and  Brook- 
lyn are  two  different  places.”  And  a 
pulpiteer,  since  become  a novelist,  had 
written:  “New  York  is  the  graveyard 
of  ministers.”  It  seemed  a question 
whether  it  would  be  a new  gown  or  a 
winding-sheet.  In  October  we  had  a 
ministers’  meeting  at  Calvary  Church 
and  they  asked  me  to  give  an  address  on 
the  subject  of  “ Pastoral  Evangelism.” 
As  I walked  up  the  aisle  to  speak,  one 
of  the  brethren  whispered  to  me,  “ It  is 
a new  field  over  here.  I wonder  how  it 
will  be  at  the  end  of  this  season.  Per- 
haps you  won’t  hold  any  revival  meet- 
ings such  as  you  have  been  holding.”  I 
said  what  1 had  to  say  about  evangelistic 
work,  but  my  brother’s  words  kept  ring- 
ing in  my  ears — and  I felt  forced  to  add 
at  the  close  of  my  address,  “ I am  under 
new  conditions.  What  will  happen  here 
I do  not  know,  but  this  is  true.  God  is 
the  same  in  New  York  as  in  every  other 
city  in  the  world.  I don’t  know  ivhat 
will  happen,  but  I wish  to  say  this  : You 
can  keep  your  eyes  on  Calvary  Church, 
for  something  is  going  to  happen.  It 
will  be  a victory  for  God  or  the  devil. 
The  thing  will  not  be  done  in  a corner. 
All  the  community  will  know  whether 
10 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

it  goes  well  or  ill  with  us.”  And  then  I 
said  something  that  will  seem  to  you  too 
strong.  “ But  before  there  shall  be  a 
failure  of  God’s  work  in  Calvary  Church 
there  will  be  a funeral  in  Calvary’s  par- 
sonage, for  I simply  cannot  live  to  wit- 
ness a defeat  of  the  armies  of  the  living 
God.  Before  God,  I won’t — I will  die  in 
the  streets  before  there  shall  be  a failure 
in  that  great  work  in  New  York  city.” 
If  the  people  would  not  come  to  church 
and  if  they  would  not  heed  my  message 
from  the  pulpit,  I meant  to  toil  in  the 
streets  of  the  city  until  there  was  no 
more  strength  in  me.  I went  into  it 
with  the  determination  to  win  or  die  and 
before  God,  I would  have  kept  my  word. 
Morning,  noon  and  night  I was  at  it. 
My  prayers  and  my  efforts  went  together, 
and  I walked  the  streets  of  New  York 
every  hour  in  the  afternoon  until  it  seemed 
to  me  that  if  all  the  stairs  I climbed 
had  been  put  on  top  of  one  another  I 
would  have  been  a long  way  towards  the 
moon.  I did  not  sleep  much  at  night. 
When  I reflected  upon  the  matter  I re- 
called the  fact  that  most  of  the  men  who 
have  moved  the  world  for  God  were  not 
good  sleepers.  Jesus  was  one  of  that 
number.  The  night  knew  Him  well,  the 


ii 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

mountain  fastnesses  and  the  sobbing  sea, 
and  the  sweat  of  His  brow  was  stained 
by  the  travail  of  His  soul.  If  love  of 
power  consumed  Caesar  and  love  of 
pleasure  consumed  Mark  Antony  why 
should  it  be  a thing  incredible  that  love 
of  souls  should  consume  God’s  min- 
isters ? 

I did  not  sleep  well,  but  on  the  first 
Sunday  in  February  I received  my  pay 
for  all  the  sleep  I had  lost,  for  that  day  I 
received  three  hundred  and  sixty  four 
people  into  the  church  of  the  living  God. 
I do  not  know  how  many  of  them  were 
converted — I do  not  even  know  how 
many  of  us  are  converted.  But  they 
bore  the  evidence  of  the  Spirit  in  their 
lives  and  most  of  them  have  kept  stead- 
ily on.  This  work  was  duplicated  this 
present  year.  And  this  last  winter  I re- 
ceived as  many  as  a year  ago.  As  the 
result  of  a two  years’  pastorate  in  that 
city,  which  is  the  “ graveyard  of  minis- 
ters,” God  gave  us  over  and  above  all 
removals,  one  thousand  additions,  in- 
creasing the  membership  from  a little 
over  fourteen  hundred  to  more  than 
twenty-four  hundred. 


12 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 


The  Preparation  of  Prayer 

There  are  two  things  that  I wish  to 
speak  of  by  way  of  preparation  for  soul- 
winning. In  the  first  place  I put  prayer. 
It  is  a great  day  in  any  man’s  life  when 
he  learns  how  to  pray.  I had  been  nine 
years  in  the  ministry  before  I understood 
that  secret.  To  learn  it  I had  to  pass 
through  agonies  compared  with  which 
crucifixion  is  but  in  the  kindergarten  of 
suffering,  but  the  returns  were  greater 
than  the  cost.  I learned  that  prayer  is 
first  of  all  communion  and  adoration,  and 
I came  to  God,  not  to  tell  Him  what  I 
wanted,  but  to  find  out  His  will  and 
plans  concerning  me.  O it  was  a great 
hour  for  me,  and  I have  never  lost  its 
joy.  I can  think  of  nothing  so  blessed 
as  to  pray  and  feel  that  the  heavens  are 
bending  low  and  that,  however  careless 
men  may  be,  there  is  quenchless  interest 
in  heaven  in  our  behalf.  The  purpose  in 
prayer  is  that  we  may  change  eyes  with 
God,  to  lay  our  plans  at  His  feet  and 
take  better  ones  from  Him.  I think 
Jesus  set  us  an  example  when  He  went 
into  the  garden  of  Gethsemane.  Under 
the  spell  of  prayer  the  cry  “ Let  this  cup 
pass,”  changes  to  “ Thy  will  be  done.” 

13 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 


“ Into  the  woods  my  Master  went,  clean  forespent, 
forespent, 

Into  the  woods  my  Master  came,  forespent  with 
love  and  shame. 

Out  of  the  woods  my  Master  went  and  He  was  well 
content. 

Out  of  the  woods  my  Master  came,  content  with 
death  and  shame.” 


When  a man  can  get  a victory  like 
that  in  Gethsemane  it  is  worth  his  while. 
There  are  many  of  us  who  do  not  pray 
long  enough.  We  pray  and  run  away. 
We  do  not  wait  to  see  if  God  has  not 
some  great  gift  for  us.  Manton,  the  old 
Puritan  preacher,  quaintly  says,  “ Foolish 
boys  that  knock  at  a door  in  wantonness 
will  not  stay  till  somebody  cometh  to 
open  to  them,  but  a man  that  hath  busi- 
ness will  knock  and  knock  again,  till  he 
gets  his  answer.” 

When  we  use  our  telephones  we  are 
not  content  until  we  hear  the  voice  of  the 
one  we  seek.  There  are  many  who  un- 
dertake to  talk  to  God,  but  they  hang 
up  the  receiver  before  the  answer  comes. 
Wait  until  there  is  borne  in  upon  your 
soul  the  fact  of  God’s  love  to  you  through 
His  Son.  Then  you  can  get  up  from 
your  knees  and  go  forty  days,  if  neces- 
sary, in  the  strength  of  that  revelation  of 
the  heart  of  God.  With  all  earnestness 


14 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

do  I give  this  message.  Prepare  for 
your  work  by  prayer.  You  have  the 
spirit  and  the  stride  of  a conqueror  when 
you  are  certain  that  you  have  with  you 
the  omnipotence  of  the  Almighty  God. 

Devotional  Bible  Study 

Next  to  prayer  I put  the  devotional 
study  of  the  word  of  God.  Mark  what 
I say,  devotional  study.  The  critical 
study  of  the  Bible  is  necessary  and  I have 
nothing  against  it.  We  strengthen  and 
buttress  ourselves  by  that  sort  of  work  ; 
but  there  come  times  when  you  do  not 
look  your  wife’s  letter  over  to  see  whether 
there  is  any  error  in  the  spelling  or 
whether  there  are  commas  where  there 
ought  to  be  periods.  What  we  want  is 
the  message.  There  comes  a time  when 
one’s  Bible  is  God’s  love  letter  to  him, 
and  he  wants  to  strengthen  his  soul  with 
things  that  God  intends  for  his  comfort. 
We  need  further  to  read  the  Word  with 
special  reference  to  the  thing  on  hand — 
the  winning  of  men  to  God.  I call  that 
the  evangelistic  study  of  the  Bible. 

In  the  last  month  before  my  special 
revival  work,  I try  to  have  all  my  read- 
ing of  the  kind  that  will  inspire  me.  A 

*5 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

runner,  if  he  is  going  to  run  a great  race 
from  Athens  to  Marathon,  must  lay  aside 
his  weights  and  do  every  least  thing  that 
he  can  to  get  himself  in  trim  for  the  con- 
test. It  is  no  ordinary  struggle  that  is 
before  us,  and  the  rewards  are  incalcu- 
lably great. 

I read  over  in  the  Old  Testament 
something  about  Joshua,  and  try  to 
catch  a little  of  the  old  man’s  spirit.  I 
would  go  a long  way  to  get  hold  of 
Joshua’s  hand,  the  hand  which  held  the 
sword  that  never  felt  its  scabbard  for 
thirty  years  and  never  fell  before  the 
stroke  of  any  man ; the  man  who  could 
say,  at  the  end  of  his  life,  that  all  the 
promises  of  God  to  him  had  been  kept. 
Then  I read  a few  of  the  Psalms  and 
pass  on  to  the  prophets.  I listen  to  the 
cry  of  Jonah  in  Nineveh  and  of  Jeremiah 
in  Jerusalem,  and  catch  the  note  of 
triumph  out  of  Isaiah.  Then  I am 
ready  to  take  up  the  New  Testament. 
There  I read  about  Jesus  in  His  anxiety 
for  men.  I think'  if  there  is  any  one 
sentence  that  could  be  properly  used  to 
describe  Jesus  it  would  be,  “ He  had  a 
passion  for  saving  the  lost.”  So  I read 
that  chapter  about  the  lost  coin,  the  lost 
sheep  and  the  lost  boy.  Then  I read 
16 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

about  Gethseinane  and  about  Calvary.  I 
shall  never  cease  to  be  grateful  to  God 
that  I had  a chance  to  go  through  that 
holy  country.  And  I shall  never  forget 
the  day  when  at  nine  o’clock  in  the 
morning  I went  out  to  the  skull-shaped 
hill  where  Jesus  died  and  saw  the  very 
rocks  that  were  rent  asunder  in  the 
agony  of  the  world  when  His  crucifixion 
took  place.  As  I looked  at  them  I said, 
“ These  are  rock  but  they  could  not 
stand  it ; can  human  hearts  be  harder 
than  they  ? ” I have  never  yet  lost  the 
inspiration  that  came  to  me  from  that 
hour.  It  is  not  far  into  Joseph’s  grave, 
but  the  door  is  open  and  we  hasten  to 
the  mount  of  Ascension.  I catch  the 
triumphant  note,  “ All  power  is  given 
unto  Me.”  Then  I read  about  Pentecost 
— the  marvellous  uplift  of  the  apostles 
on  that  great  day,  and  I remind  myself 
of  the  fact  that  every  man  must  have  his 
own  Pentecost,  and  that  only  he  that 
has  felt  the  tongue  of  fire  is  able  to 
speak  the  words  that  burn.  And  then  I 
pass  to  the  marvels  that  come  after 
Pentecost. 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 


Modern  Miracles 

Brethren,  if  you  have  friends  who  do 
not  believe  much  in  the  miracles  of  the 
first  century,  and  they  are  inclined  to 
argue  the  case  with  regard  to  them,  let 
me  tell  you  how  you  can  silence  them. 
Have  a few  fresh  miracles  of  your  own. 
They  may  deny  the  miracles  of  the  first 
century  but  they  cannot  deny  the  miracles 
of  the  twentieth  century,  for  you  have 
the  evidence.  Now  as  of  old : “ Seeing  the 
man  that  was  healed  standing  among 
them,  they  could  say  nothing.”  Re- 
porters come  to  see  me,  and  they  say, 
‘‘Well,  what  have  you  got?  Any  un- 
usual event  or  a marriage  that  has  a 
story  in  it  that  we  can  write  up?  ” One 
Sunday  night  I saw  four  or  five  reporters 
in  our  audience  sharpening  their  pencils, 
and  I said,  “ I have  something  for  you 
now,  and  I shall  not  feel  hurt  if  you  go 
out  of  the  church  to  telephone  it.  On 
Monday  night  there  were  two  blind  men 
came  into  our  meeting  and  I had  a box 
of  eye  salve  which  I used,  and  before  the 
meeting  was  over  those  two  blind  men 
were  seeing  clearly.”  The  boys  didn’t 
quite  catch  on,  and  I said,  “ Tuesday 
night  there  were  three  lepers  came  into 
.8 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

the  church,  they  said  they  were  lepers 
and  they  looked  it.  If  ever  I saw  three 
men  that  had  the  marks  of  leprosy  they 
had  them,  but  before  that  meeting  was 
over  I had  tried  a remedy  which  has 
been  good  for  more  than  eighteen  cen- 
turies; it  worked,  and  before  the  service 
was  over  those  three  lepers  were  healed, 
and  their  hearts  were  as  tender  as  hearts 
could  be.”  The  boys  began  to  see  what 
I was  after,  but  1 kept  on  and  I said, 
“ The  next  night  they  brought  in  five 
dead  men,”  and  their  hair — the  reporters’ 
hair — began  to  start.  “ Before  the  meet- 
ing was  over  these  dead  men  sprang  to 
their  feet  and  gave  testimony  to  the  in- 
dwelling power  of  a new  life.  Now 
boys,  go  out  and  spread  it  as  far  as  you 
can,  and,”  I said,  “ if  you  have  any  doubt 
come  to  me  after  the  service  and  I will 
show  you  the  cases,  for  they  are  all  here 
to-night.”  Talk  about  miracles  ! There 
they  are ! Thank  God  that  we  can 
multiply  them  any  day  by  the  grace  of 
God. 


Christian  Biography 

After  I have  read  the  Bible  I read  the 
saints — I am  a great  lover  of  Christian 

*9 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

biography.  It  stirs  my  heart.  I read  a 
chapter  or  two  by  way  of  refreshing  my 
remembrance  from  the  story  of  Savon- 
arola in  the  market-place  in  Florence ; 
and  a chapter  about  the  man  who  dared 
to  throw  a bottle  at  the  devil  in  the  old 
Wartburg  Castle  in  the  Black  Forest. 
It  takes  a lot  of  courage  to  throw  an  ink 
bottle  at  the  devil,  whether  you  throw  it 
all  at  once  or  drop  by  drop  from  a 
trenchant  pen  ; I admire  the  courage  of 
a man  who,  really  thinking  the  devil  was 
there,  let  drive  at  him. 

Then  I spend  an  hour  or  two  in 
Edinburgh  with  old  John  Knox  crying, 
“ Give  me  Scotland  or  I die.”  And  an 
hour  with  Bunyan,  crying  out  of  his 
prison  window,  “ I will  stay  here  until 
the  moss  grows  over  my  eyebrows 
sooner  than  deny  my  Lord.”  Then  I 
read  how  Finney,  giving  himself  to 
prayer,  lost  his  strength  and  gained  his 
power.  Then  a few  pages  in  the  life  of 
William  Taylor,  hero  of  India,  Africa 
and  South  America,  and  then  I always 
finish  with  Moody,  the  man  who  said, 
“ There  shall  be  one  man,  given  up  to 
God,  to  show  the  world  what  God  can  do 
with  a surrendered  life.” 

By  the  time  I have  done  all  this,  I am 


20 


The  Price  oi  Winning  Souls 

fairly  ablaze,  and  the  boiler  would  ex- 
plode it  I did  not  get  a chance  to  let  out 
steam  somewhere. 

The  Price  of  Service 

I wish  now  to  say  a word  to  you  about 
“ The  Price  of  Service.”  I am  looking 
into  the  faces  of  many  who  have  passed 
into  middle  life.  The  dew  is  gone  ; the 
hot  sun  is  beating  down ; you  have 
learned  many  things  about  the  world  by 
bitter  experiences ; you  are  wiser  but 
you  are  sadder  men.  Do  you  remember 
when  you  first  went  into  the  pulpit  to 
preach  ? You  have  not  quite  forgotten 
how  your  knees  shook  as  you  went  up 
the  stairs  and  how  the  desire  to  win 
men  burned  in  your  soul.  Then  if  you 
learned  of  a wayward  soul  you  would 
travel  all  day  to  seek  and  save  it.  But 
the  ardour  of  the  first  experience  has 
paled  now ; it  comes  no  more.  Preach- 
ers say  to  me,  “ What  are  we  to  do  about 
it  ? ” Well,  it  is  a sad  hour  in  a man’s 
life  when  his  first  zeal  has  spent  its  force 
and  no  new  incentive  has  taken  its  place. 
That  is  the  time  when  many  clergymen 
go  into  semi-religious  things.  They  be- 
come agents  and  promoters,  secretaries 


21 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

and  presidents,  and  try  to  create  a new 
interest  in  life.  But  if  you  must  stay  in 
the  ministry  there  is  only  one  thing  for 
you.  You  must  get  a new  vision.  If 
any  of  you  feels  that  he  has  reached  the 
dead  line  by  reason  of  his  years,  I wish 
to  assure  you  that  there  is  no  reason  in 
the  world  why  these  years  should  not  be 
the  brightest,  happiest  years  of  all  your 
ministry.  You  ought  to  do  better  work 
for  God  than  ever  in  the  past.  But,  hear 
me  when  I say  that  in  order  to  make 
that  true  you  must  pay  the  price  in  toil 
and  surrender  to  God.  I went  out  quite 
early  this  morning  to  your  little  Round 
Top.  There  are  two  graves  there.  They 
are  the  graves  of  kindred  hearts.  They 
were  lovely  and  pleasant  in  their  lives, 
and  in  their  death  they  are  not  divided. 
One  is  the  grave  of  Dwight  Moody,  the 
other  is  the  grave  of  his  faithful  wife. 
“ As  his  part  is  that  goetli  down  to  the 
battle  so  shall  his  part  (her  part)  be  that 
tarrieth  by  the  stun.”  That  sweet 
woman,  in  the  sight  of  God,  is  to  be 
credited  with  the  victories  that  came  to 
the  stout  heart  to  whom  she  gave  cour- 
age and  for  whose  work  she  never  ceased 
to  pray.  I noticed  that  this  strong  man 
had  died  at  what  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes 


22 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

calls  “ the  grand  climacteric  of  life,”— 
sixty-two  years  of  age.  Nature  made 
him  a fine  animal  and  built  his  heart  to 
run  at  least  for  fourscore  years  and  ten, 
but  his  heart  took  on  the  cares  of  this 
world  so  greatly  and  throbbed  so  terri- 
bly under  them  that  it  shook  its  taber- 
nacle to  pieces  at  sixty-two.  Now, 
brothers,  D.  L.  Moody  preferred  to  die 
in  the  saddle  rather  than  to  die  by  the 
fire.  While  I have  no  brief  to  shorten 
ministers’  lives  I want  to  say  that  the 
best  thing  we  can  do  is  to  put  all  there 
is  of  us  into  this  work  without  regard  to 
years.  Let  us  put  a new  meaning  into 
the  epicurean  motto,  While  we  live  let  us 
live. 

I read  not  long  ago  the  history  of  the 
early  preachers  of  the  Methodist  Church. 
In  the  first  generation  of  the  Methodist 
preachers  in  New  England  and  New 
York  the  average  length  of  ministerial 
service  when  they  came  to  die  was  eight 
years.  They  burned  themselves  out  in 
eight  short  years.  They  lived  so  ear- 
nestly for  God  and  wrought  so  well  that  in 
eight  years  their  lives  had  gone  out  by 
the  stress  of  their  toil.  But  you  know, 
dear  friends,  that  the  tables  of  the  ac- 
tuaries show  us  that  now  the  ministers 


23 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

are  the  best  risks  in  the  world.  They 
live  longer  than  any  other  class  of  men, 
and  there  are  people  on  the  outside  who 
say  that  we  ministers  are  not  only  under- 
paid but  that  we  are  under-worked.  Of 
course  they  do  not  know  or  they  would 
not  say  that.  I was  speaking  to  some 
labouring  men  the  other  day  and  I told 
them  I was  greatly  interested  in  this 
matter  of  “ eight  hours  a day.”  That  I 
was  so  much  pleased  with  the  idea  that  I 
had  put  in  two  of  those  days  into  every 
twenty-four  hours  from  the  time  I en- 
tered the  ministry.  And  those  labouring 
men  were  not  quite  sure  whether  what  I 
said  would  help  or  hurt  their  cause.  I 
am  convinced  that  men  need  to  see  that 
there  is  no  toil  of  theirs  that  we  will  not 
undertake  ; that  we  will  crack  our  sinews 
over  the  hard  problems  of  life,  and  are 
willing  to  share  their  burdens  anywhere 
and  everywhere. 

Revival  Periods 

I believe  in  a regular  revival  period. 
I never  in  all  my  life  said,  “ YVe  will  ob- 
serve the  week  of  prayer,  and  if  then  we 
have  a good  week,  we  will  continue  the 
next  week,”  and  so  on.  * say  in  July, 
24 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

“ Brethren,  we  are  going  to  take  the 
month  of  January  for  revival  services; 
whether  the  wind  blows  high  or  blows 
low,  we  are  going  to  take  that  month.” 
I have  a notion  that  God  does  not  need 
to  be  importuned  to  be  favourable  in  our 
case.  He  is  as  much  interested  now  as 
ever  in  the  coming  of  His  kingdom  into 
the  hearts  of  men  ; and  I have  no  ques- 
tion whatever  but  that  you  can  have  a 
revival  any  time  when  you  are  willing  to 
pay  the  price.  God  is  waiting  to  be 
gracious.  The  whole  air  is  full  of  Pente- 
costs  that  have  never  come  down,  because 
there  was  no  place  for  the  cloven  tongues. 
If  there  had  been,  Pentecost  would  have 
fallen  long  ago.  I know  an  old  minister 
who  said  that  he  had  been  pastor  of  a 
church  forty  years.  He  found  that  the 
Lord  came  to  that  church  every  seven 
years.  When  asked  to  cooperate  in  re- 
vival effort  he  said,  “ It  is  only  three 
years  since  the  last  visitation,  and  I see 
no  use  of  asking  for  a revival  for  four 
years.”  Are  you  saying,  “ I wonder  if 
God  will  send  us  a revival  ” ? You  need 
not  wonder.  The  angels  in  heaven  won- 
der that  you  have  not  had  one  each  pass- 
ing year.  Somebody  says  : “ Do  you 
believe,  then,  in  having  a special  revival 
25 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

season  and  in  crowding  everything  into 
that  ? " I believe  in  having  a special  re- 
vival season.  I have  held  meetings  for 
a week  and  everything  seemed  cold, 
there  was  no  movement.  Once  or 
twice  I have  held  meetings  for  two 
weeks  and  nothing  happened.  But  I 
have  never  held  meetings  three  weeks 
consecutively  that  something  did  not 
happen.  The  power  is  cumulative,  and 
you  and  your  people  cannot  keep  on 
your  knees  before  God  and  work  for 
Him  on  the  streets  for  three  weeks  with- 
out getting  some  marvellous  results.  Try 
it  and  see. 

Now,  it  is  psychological  and  logical 
for  us  to  give  a definite  portion  of  each 
year  to  a definite  work.  If  you  are 
going  to  elect  a president,  you  do  that 
vay.  If  you  are  going  to  advance  any 
jreat  scheme,  you  use  that  method.  Do 
you  say  there  will  be  a great  reaction 
and  religious  interest  will  decline  ? That 
need  not  be  true.  ‘The  trouble  is  many 
people  have  one  hobby  and  ride  that 
hobby  to  death.  The  right  way  to  do  is 
to  have  a study  full  of  hobbies.  In 
February  my  hobby  is  class  meetings. 
These  Methodists  here  know  what  I 
mean.  You  can  see  how  fine  it  is  to 
26 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

have  that  second  hobby  after  the  work 
in  January.  The  class  meeting  means 
the  training  of  your  converts.  In  March 
my  hobby  is  the  dispensary.  We  treat 
nearly  ten  thousand  free  patients  every 
year.  Outsiders  say  : “ I don’t  get  much 
out  of  your  religion,  but  when  I see  a 
row  of  baby  carriages,  and  mothers  and 
babies  coming  into  the  dispensary,  I say, 
‘ That  is  something  I can  understand, 
and  if  you  have  a religion  that  does  that 
sort  of  thing,  I think  it  is  a good  kind  to 
have.’  ” 

So  every  month  I have  something  of 
that  sort,  and  I feel  that  God’s  blessing 
attends  us  as  much  in  one  month  as  in 
another. 


Methods 

I am  asked,  “ How  do  you  get  the 
people  to  come  to  the  services  ? ” I 
will  tell  you  about  that.  In  the  fore- 
noon I get  ready  to  preach  at  night.  I 
preach  every  night  at  these  revival 
services.  In  the  afternoon  I start  out  at 
half  past  one  and  visit  my  parishioners 
until  six  o’clock.  I go  into  the  offices  of 
my  people  and  into  their  homes.  I 
bring  Jesus  Christ  face  to  face  with 
27 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

their  hearts.  I have  cards  that  I give 
out  at  the  revival  services.  The  first 
Sunday  night  I had  a card  distributed 
indicating  interest  in  Christian  things. 
These  were  signed  by  those  not  members 
of  my  church,  and  not  professing  Chris- 
tians, so  far  as  I knew,  to  the  number  of 
one  hundred  or  more.  Now  then,  I had 
the  names  and  addresses  of  a hundred 
people  and  they  represented  about  eighty 
or  ninety  families.  They  had  virtually 
said  to  me  by  that  card  that  they  would 
like  to  see  me  and  talk  about  their  souls. 
Wasn’t  that  a fine  chance?  I said  to 
them  as  I met  them : “ I have  received 
your  card  and  I have  come  to  talk  with 
you.”  I see  their  cares  and  learn  of 
their  sorrows  and  their  needs.  My 
heart  becomes  full  of  zeal  for  their  sal- 
vation and  I bring  the  matter  home  to 
their  hearts.  Almost  every  day,  either 
in  the  parlour  or  office  I have  had  two, 
three,  or  a half  dozen  promise  before 
God  that  they  would  give  themselves  to 
Christ  and  would  make  a public  con- 
fession of  Him,  and  kneeling  there  with 
them  we  have  dedicated  ourselves  to 
God.  Now,  when  I went  to  the  revival 
service  that  night  and  ascended  the 
platform,  I wrent  up  with  the  heart  o*  \ 
28 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

conqueror.  I looked  the  audience  over 
and  1 said  : “ Yes,  there  they  are.  There 
will  be  something  done  to-night”;  and  I 
preached  as  if  I expected  something. 
When  the  three  that  I knew  about  rose 
to  their  feet  there  were  a dozen  others  in 
the  room  who  looked  over  the  audience 
and  saw  these  and  said  to  themselves : 
“ I had  no  idea  that  these  people  were 
religiously  interested;  I ought  to  act 
myself,”  and  they  came  down  and 
filled  the  altar,  and  there  was  joy  in 
heaven. 

You  Must  Like  Your  Job 

Oh,  brethren,  is  it  not  a great  work  ? 
Is  there  anything  on  earth  that  will  com- 
pare with  it  ? Some  one  went  into  the 
White  House  and  saw  the  President 
with  his  desk  piled  high  with  important 
papers.  The  newspapers  were  full  of 
unkind  criticisms  ; scores  of  people  were 
wanting  impatiently  to  press  their  cause 
upon  his  attention  and  his  visitor  said, 
“ Mr.  President,  what  an  awful  thing  it 
must  be  to  be  in  your  place ! ” but  the 
President  smiled  and  showed  his  teeth 
and  said  : “ I like  my  job.”  I suppose 
there  are  many  people  who  would  like 
29 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

his  job,  but  the  faithful  pastor  would  not 
change  places  with  any  sovereign  on  any 
throne.  When  the  President  goes  into 
his  office  and  sees  the  responsibility 
facing  him,  he  smiles  with  his  great 
manly  smile  and  says  : “ I am  de-lighted 
to  have  a chance  to  do  the  world’s 
work.”  When  I go  into  the  church  of 
God  and  look  over  the  great  congre- 
gation I would  not  take  a thousand 
dollars  a minute  for  the  joy  that  comes 
into  my  soul  when  I see  sinners  for- 
saking their  sins  and  young  people  be- 
coming humble  followers  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  May  heaven  help  you  to 
win  many  souls,  but  to  do  that  you  must 
like  your  job. 

I was  down  at  Old  Point  Comfort  this 
winter  and  the  commandant  at  Fortress 
Monroe  took  me  into  the  room  where 
the  boys  were  studying  geometry  and 
drawing  their  great  projections.  They 
were  solving  the  -problems  of  ballistics, 
and  I left  them  studying  there.  But  in 
the  afternoon  I heard  the  booming  of 
the  cannon  out  over  the  bay  and  I knew 
that  the  boys  were  actually  doing  in  the 
afternoon  the  thing  they  had  learned  to  do 
in  the  morning.  Would  to  God.  my  dear 
brethren,  that  after  this  great  Northfield 

3° 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

Convention,  where  you  have  been  study- 
ing these  things  of  the  Spirit,  there 
might  be  a booming  of  the  great  guns 
that  should  announce  to  all  our  land, 
» The  war  is  on  against  all  evil,  and  we 
will  not  cease  the  battle  until  victory  is 
with  the  King  of  Kings,”  and  may  God 
help  you  for  the  work  ! 

[After  answering  questions  relating  to 
evangelistic  methods  for  some  time,  Dr. 
Goodell  said  in  closing  : ] 

In  his  great  allegory  Bunyan  tells  us 
how  Mr.  Valiant-for-Truth  went  home. 
Said  he : “I  am  going  to  my  Father : 
and  though  with  great  difficulty  I am 
got  hither,  yet  now  I do  not  repent  me  of 
all  the  trouble  I have  been  at  to  arrive 
zvhere  I am.  My  sword  I give  to  him 
that  shall  succeed  me  in  my  pilgrimage, 
and  my  courage  and  skill  to  him  that 
can  get  it.  My  marks  and  scars  I carry 
with  me  to  be  a witness  for  me  that  I 
have  fought  His  battles  who  will  now  be 
my  rewarder.”  When  the  day  that  he 
must  go  hence  was  come,  many  accom- 
panied him  to  the  riverside,  into  which, 
as  he  went,  he  said,  “ Death,  where  is 
thy  sting  ? ” And  as  he  went  down 
deeper,  he  said,  “ Grave,  where  is  thy 
victory  ? ” So  he  passed  over,  and  all 
3i 


The  Price  of  Winning  Souls 

the  trumpets  sounded  for  him  on  the 
other  side. 

Let  me  say  to  you,  my  brethren, 
“Good-bye,  Mr.  Valiant -for- Truth  ! 
When  the  trumpets  sound  for  you  on 
the  other  side  may  they  be  blown  by 
lips  which  you  have  taught  to  pray,  and 
may  I be  there  to  hear ! " 


33 


Dr.  Goodell's  “ Pastoral  and  Personal  Evangelism  ” shows 

How  a Church  Membership  Increased  from 

1400  to  2500  in  Two  Years 


‘‘Reveals  the 
secret  of  the  au- 
thors’ notable 
evangelistic  suc- 
cess. 

Watchman 

Christian  Advocate — “The  theories 
have  been  successfully  put  into  practice  in 
Dr.  Goodell’s  pastorate  in  New  York  City. 
It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a more  success- 
ful book  than  this.  It  is  an  inspiration, 
and  will  give  all  who  read  it  a renewed 
impulse  and  purpose  to  work.” 

"Not  merely 
theory,  but  prac- 
tical methods 
proved  by  use.” 
Christian 
Intelligencer 

Western  Recorder — “Dr.  Goodell 
has  sounded  a new  note  in  evangelism. 
His  pages  are  not  only  inspirational,  but 
very  practical.  He  presents  methods  that 
have  been  proved  by  use.  Christian 
workers,  both  lay  and  clerical,  will  be 
instructed  by  its  pages.” 

Religious  Telescope — "A  well-writ- 
ten book  of  more  than  two  hundred  pages 
touching  upon  all  phases  of  the  work  that 
is  to  be  done  by  a busy  pastor.  Very  few 
books  have  come  from  the  press  this  year 
whose  worth  is  greater  to  the  average 
practical  pastor  than  this  one.  It  is  inspir- 
ing and  suggestive  to  laymen  and  clergy- 

"A  more  help- 
ful book  on  this 
subject  could 
scarcely  be  1 m - 
a glned.” 

Herald  and 
Presbyter 

men.” 

Zion’s  Herald — “It  is  a marvelous 
record..  These  pages  show  very  fully  the 
means  adopted,  the  methods  tried,  the 
spirit  cultivated,  the  price  of  power,  the 
kind  of  preparation  demanded,  how  to 
draw  the  net,  how  to  work  the  Sunday- 
school.  It  will  be  a help  to  very  many, 
and  will  lead,  we  hope,  to  large  ingather- 
ings this  coming  fall  and  winter  in  many 
places." 

Eighth  Edition,  Cloth,  $1 .25  Net. 

Pastoral  and  Personal  Evangelism 

By  CHARLES  L.  G00DE1.L,  D.D. 


